\documentclass[a4paper,twocolumn,dvips]{book}
\usepackage[dvips=false,pdftex=false,vtex=false]{geometry}
\usepackage{relsize}
\usepackage{ifpdf}
\ifpdf
  \usepackage[pdftex]{graphicx,color}
\else
  \usepackage{graphicx,color}
\fi
\usepackage{times}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\usepackage{ifthen}

\input{mydefs}

\fancyhead{} % clear all fields
\fancyhead[LE,RO]{\leftmark}		% left-even, right-odd
\fancyhead[RE,LO]{\nip{} Manual}	% right-even, left-odd
\fancyfoot[LE,RO]{\thepage}		% left-even, right-odd
\fancyfoot[RE,LO]{December 2017}		

\begin{document}

\pagenumbering{roman}

\begin{titlepage}
\thispagestyle{empty}
\begin{center}
\huge
\nip{} Manual\\[0.2em]
\large Version 8.6\\
\vspace{0.5in}
\large
John Cupitt, 
Rachel Billinge,
Joseph Padfield, 
Clare Richardson, 
David Saunders\\ 
\end{center}

% hmm ... must be a better way to get the quote at the bottom of the page
\vspace{3in}

\begin{center}
\noindent
\emph{``It's quite simple really, and at the same time, rather 
complicated.''} \\
--- A.\ Haddock, Sea captain (rtd.)
\end{center}

\vspace{3in}

\noindent
\small{This document formatted \today}
\setcounter{page}{1}
\end{titlepage}

%\blankpage
\tableofcontents
\thispagestyle{plain}

%\blankpage
\listoffigures
\thispagestyle{plain}

%\blankpage
\listoftables
\thispagestyle{plain}

\blankpage
\pagenumbering{arabic}
\thispagestyle{plain}
\cfoot{}

\input{intro}
\input{tutorial}
\input{infrared}
\input{reference}
\input{menus}
\input{program}
\appendix
\input{config}

\end{document}
